U.S State department has raised the passport fee and other consular fees. 
The new fees go into effect on Tuesday, July 13th. So if you are planning to travel overseas anytime soon it might be cheaper to get it tomorrow. A lot of passport application centers are open for longer hours tomorrow. These are the changes in passport fees (source : US Department of State):
| Service | Old Fee | New Fee |
| Passport Book – adult | $100.00 | $135.00 |
| Passport Book – minor | $ 85.00 | $ 105.00 |
| Passport Book Renewal – Adult | $75.00 | $110.00 |
| Additional passport visa pages | - | $82.00 |
| Passport Card – Adult | $ 45.00 | $ 55.00 |
| Passport Card – Child | $ 35.00 | $ 40.00 |
| Consular Report of Birth Abroad | $65.00 | $100.00 |
| Renunciation of U.S. Citizenship | - | $450.00 |
| File Search and Verification of U.S. Citizenship | $60.00 | $150.00 |
Check here if you want to know how to apply for a passport or where to apply for one. If you are running low on visa pages add extra pages now as well (and save $82 per person).
The USPS has proposed a price increase of first class stamps to 46c and post cards to 30c. I don’t send enough postal mail to run and get the forever stamps, but it might be worth the visit to the post office for some people.
Now on to my weekly favorites. These are some of my favorite reads from other personal finance bloggers -
Automate or Unautomate your finances from Free From Broke
Newlywed financial bliss box from Little House in the Valley
Tips for handling power outage from Everyday Tips and Thoughts
What you should consider before becoming a stay at home mom from Money crashers
How to safeguard your social security number from Get Rich Slowly
Should you manage your own escrow? from My money blog
Contests : Today is the last day to enter @NewCarCoach to Win $200 Worth of Car Buyer Coaching Sessions
Guest Post : Wealth Informatics had a guest post last Thursday on Find the best car rental price @ Car Negotiation Coach Blog
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